The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-02

tide of favor at its flood. and now has sunk back
to comparative insi gnfcance. However. when
the war breaks out for the recovery OF Alsace
and Lorraine, Bouangers chance may come
again. If Germany wins the first battle, the
French people will rise up as one man. with
overwhelming enthusiasm, call back their ban
ished hero, and charge him to lead the armies of
France.
do think the French soldier the equal of
his German rivaR That is a difficult question
to answer. l know that it is customary to
laugh at the French troops as being understood,
badly dressed poorly Differed, etc.; and certain
ly, in point of external appearance, the German
soldier seems to me the ideal of perfect fight
ing machine. They are such large. fine looking
fellows, and spendidly disciplined, that the
average tourist at once decides in their favor.
But there is another side to the question [
have heard one of United States army off,
GERS speak in the very highest terms of the
French army. maintaining that there is nc soldier
on the face of the earth like well-trained Gaul.
He claims that the little Frenchman, with his
fne nervous organization, his wlry, sinewy
frame. his dash, mis- enthusiasm, and his
Bohemian habits. is vastly better prepared
endure the hardships of a fierce campaign, to
march and fight without proper food and sleep,
than is the German. Certainly, in our own
civil war. it was demonstrated over and over
again that the slender city clerk. who would
often dance all night and write all day, could
Outright the rugged farmers boy who had always
lived out of doors. and had seen the sun rise
every morning of his life But, notwithstand-
ing the opinion Of my military friend. the
German army ia the most perfect and magnif-
cent machine ever saw.
THE ENGLISH REPUBLIC.
"You ask me if have anything to say about
England. Well. my impressions of the Prince
of Wales may be of interest. 1 had the honor
of dining and lunching with His Royal Highness.
and was impressed with the fact that the Prince
of the best-informed Englishmen, par
ticularly American affairs, that had ever
met. He takes the most lively and sincere in
fera in all at in nit
and is very earnest in the desire that the rela-
tons between the two countries be cordial and
harmonious.
in conversation the Prince of Wales has a
way Of almost cross examining the person with
whom he is talking. which enables him to gain
an immense of information that he
could not obtain in any other manner. / found
him quite familiar wi tn the names of our vari
public men, with what they have done and
doing, aud he showed by his questions,
profound understanding Of our present political
situation.
although, as said. the Prince has in con-
versation this way of cross-examination, it is
not done at all Extensively; In fact. he Is a
summate master of the art of making every
man appear at his best by encouraging him to
speak subjects that are familiar to him He
possesses another art. too which is one of the
rarest and most essential of public gifts that of
paying those he has met the honor of remem ber-
ing them. Notwithstanding the thousands of
persons who presented to him every year,
the Prince of Wales never fails to recognize a
single of them future occasion, and will
recalls the circumstances of the first meeting.
'Some people talk great deal about the es-
tablishment of republic in England. but l am
of the opinion that the cause of monarchy will
be strengthened when the Prince of Wales
comes TO the throne. He possesses the popular
instinct to a high degree, and on listening to a
speech which he made in London L was aston
ished at the vigorous directness of his style He
showed a great familiarity with the public reeds
and deep concern in providing for them. In
deed. / thought that he spoke very much like
American. On the whole. the Prince struck
a man of marvellous tact. knowing just
what to do and what not to do and in the diff.
cult position which he has had to FILL the future
King has certainly succeeded in winning the
thusiastic regard of the English people
''As regards English hospitality, I cannot
speak in high enough terms Englishmen may
be cold. indifferent. or perhaps even rude in
their treatment of strangers. but as it is
known that you are worthy Of their friendship
no welcome be more cordial than that
which they give you at their homes.
lone of the ablest and most interesting men
whom met during my stay in London.
Lord Wolseley. Speaking of our late war. he |
said that, as is customary in such cases, Eng
land sent a nun Der of officers to the Unit
ed Statse. one-balf of whom served with the |
Union army and the others with the South, the |
idea being, of course, that they would in this |
way, acquire . larger amount Of useful know |
ledge than if all had gone with one army. Well. |
the point that General Wolseley made was that, |
although they left England without any special |
prejudice one way or the other. they all came |
back fully convinced of two things: first. that |
the United States possessed wonderful military |
strength; and secondly. that the side which |
they had fought was in the right, and had the |
best led army. AS Doth armies were composed |
of Americans. the com plime,.t complete.
DO 1 approve of limiting the right of |
suffrage in the United Statss2 Most decidedly |
do not; neither by educational requirements, |
nor by property qualifications. nor by any other |
The slightest limitation of the |
right of every man to cast his vote would result |
in the establishment in country OF classes |
and class privileges. and the glory of instItu-
tions is that the government is in the hands of |
every man alike, while every citizen is thus |
squal before the law. I am well of the |
fact that ignorance and poverty have much to
do with the perverson of our elections. but the
remedy does not lie in isolatng those
unfortunate people from the rest of the
We must rather raise them
10 to the common level. Let them have the
ballot, for it is theirs by right; but give them
also education that they may use the ballot
rightly. More light as Victor Hugo said. is
what we need. There would be no bad govern
nent, State or municipal. in America, if every
,itizen took a proper interest in public affairs
DUR great difficulty is the Indifference of HIN
ireds Of thousands to politics. which is govern
nent. A great crisis arouses them and then
hey demonstrate their power. but 1t is onlv |
when spurred by heavy burdens. out ragged by
.reat wrongs, that they will Law aside private |
,usiness, personal comfort. long enough to
AXE hold and set things straight"
CLEVELAND MOFFETT